Coral is one of the beauties people love to see when visiting the Caribbean. But there is a challenge…sunscreens with damaging ingredients contributes to the loss of beautiful coral and the marine animals living in the coral.
A coral reef is created by colonies of tiny marine animals called coral polyps, which create a hard, calcium carbonate frameworks. When the various marine animals move in, the colors are created. When the coral is damaged, the colors disappear and the coral is white or gray.
A 2022 study* helps explain the damaging process in detail, but the bottom line: READ LABELS. Do not use sunscreens in the USVI that contain “Toxic 3 Os”oxybenzone, octinoxate and octocrylene.
Colorful coral is a lot prettier than white or gray coral. Help us protect the reef coral. READ THE INGREDIENTS.
*Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, The Truth About Corals and Sunscreen.
